


Kol gets bitch slapped

by kcatdino



Series: It's not like I believe (in Everlasting Love) [2]
Category: The Vampire Diaries & Related Fandoms, The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Human, Alternate Universe - Stripper/Exotic Dancer, BAMF Caroline Forbes, Caroline runs the club, Elijah's a prof but he's in a different department so no student/teacher, Elijah's ties, F/M, Gen, Graduate School, I love Kol he is the absolute worst, Kat handles emotions like a champ, Kat works there, Mentioned Bonnie Bennet, Mentioned Elena Gilbert, Smut, many people are bi, the title is the whole reason I wrote this fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-01
Updated: 2021-01-28
Packaged: 2021-03-07 01:09:07
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 13,213
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26238400
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kcatdino/pseuds/kcatdino
Summary: Caroline is a BAMF running her own strip club that features both men and women, all while working on her doctorate. Elijah is a prof in another department, desperate to figure out if his girlfriend Katherine is also the mysterious Katerina, best dancer at Caroline’s club, as Kol claims. Kol, of course, is about to get chewed out for the exorbitant amounts of money and time he has wasted there while he was supposed to be working on his bachelors. Also, Batman rules: It’s impossible to recognize someone when they have a mask on.Edit: Surprise Chapter 3! Complete with Kalijah smut
Relationships: Caroline Forbes/Klaus Mikaelson, Elijah Mikaelson/Katherine Pierce
Series: It's not like I believe (in Everlasting Love) [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2182662
Comments: 10
Kudos: 26





	1. He deserves it

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this after realizing my favorite part of Klaroline fics was just Katherine or Kol causing problems, so here's a whole fic of that! BTW there will be a lap dance and possible smut in part two if I ever write it.

Caroline is a hard worker, that’s for sure. Full of unlimited drive to reach her goals. And right now, her goal is turning the Mystic Club into the destination strip club in the area. She had started working at the club as a bartender when she first arrived in the college town, pursuing her bachelors in English lit, before working her way up to dancer, and eventually manager. She was well on her way to being able to buy out the club, if she could just get her best friend/second in command Kat to invest her considerable earnings. The Mystic Club was a hallowed institution in the town, one of the oldest businesses besides the college, and happily supported by both the city council and the college as they believed it helped draw larger and larger conventions to the college, always a money maker for everyone involved.

  
While the business was perfectly legitimate and above board, part of the appeal of the Mystic, for both employees and clientele, was the identity-concealing masks all employees wore. It was well known at the college that the student next to you, or even your TA, could be a dancer there. A few of them, like Enzo, one of the main male attractions, flaunted their employment openly, enjoying the attention. Most though followed Caroline’s lead, utilizing fake names, as well as wigs and costume switches, to keep people guessing who was behind the mask, and even if it was the same person who wore the mask and name as the last night. While Caroline used a fake name at work, she had no idea whether the name Kat used at work or the one she used at school was her real name, even after years of friendship. It seemed most likely that Kat used neither identity before coming to town at 18.

  
She had just finished a new poster last night, and emailed it the campus activities board, who would pay underclassmen to place them around campus, for a fee of course. Technically, any local business could take advantage of the program, meant to help fund campus events, but she had been the one to pioneer the program, when she was still a dancer and hadn’t wanted anyone to see her placing the signs around campus. She happily walked onto campus and noted prime placement of her posters, always appreciative of a job well done. She needed bigger and better acts and was willing to draw on the college for talent, planning on scoping out some prime classes and clubs for those able to move their bodies. She was confident she would find some fresh blood to replace those who moved away after graduation before the art history convention next month. It was one of the biggest events of the fall, and she needed any newbies to work out their jitters before the out-of-towners arrived.

  
Caroline was interrupted from her plotting by Kat waving her over to the lounge utilized by the English Lit department. Kat was starting her masters in the program and had used the additional TA hours to dodge Caroline’s repeated attempts to make her assistant manager at the club. She claimed she made more money as a dancer, which was probably true, as her tips were legendary, but Caroline suspected it had more to with her fear of being tied down. Kat had been avoiding her this summer, to the extent she could while sharing a place of employment and had been extra shifty the past few weeks. Caroline had been afraid Kat would simply disappear when the fall semester came around, so she was overjoyed to see Kat following her academic plans. Pulling her into a hug, she exclaimed “I can’t believe you are here and we will be working together!”

  
“Yeah, yeah, save the sob story, you are going to kill my rep as a hard ass” Katherine complained, even as she let loose a wry smile.

  
“Oh, have you already been terrifying the underclassmen in the 101 classes?”

  
“Those little monsters deserve it. I can’t believe I’m stuck with all freshman this semester. And don’t give me that look, I know new grad students have to “pay their dues” but I maintain this is just an elaborate form of hazing.”

“Well, I’d love to hear you complain all about it over lunch.” Kat shifted uncomfortably at her words. “Kat! We specifically blocked out Thursday lunches to catch up!”

  
Kat immediately went on the defensive, “It’s not like we don’t see each other all weekend,” she said. lowering her voice.

  
“You know that’s different; we can’t exactly talk about grading papers at the club” Caroline whispered back. And then something clicked about Kat’s suddenly busy schedule. “You’re seeing someone!” she said at a much louder pitch.

  
“Shut up, and stop shouting my business for everyone to hear, or I won’t tell you anything” she seethed, pulling Caroline into an empty conference room.

  
“When were you planning on telling me? How long have you been keeping this a secret? How do you even have time to meet someone off campus during your lunch break?” The murderous look Kat shoots her at the last question confirms the answer for her. “You’re dating someone on campus? Is it one of the other TA’s? Please tell me it’s not an undergrad.”

  
Katherine cuts off her rapid-fire questions, “It’s a professor, ok? He’s in a different department, so it’s not a big deal. And we are above board, he insisted on filling all the paperwork with the college, he’s morally upstanding like that” Kat preens at the last words.

  
“You? Dating someone morally upstanding?” Caroline attempts to hold back her incredulity and fails. Dropping to a whisper again, she says “I happen to know you have at least 3 different identities ready to go at any given moment.”

  
“First of all, you know very well I actively use two of those identities. And haven’t you ever heard of opposites attracting?” Kat teases.

At noon that Sunday, Caroline is pissed at Kat. She is all dressed up in her full “Manager” attire at the club, complete with large butterfly mask, as she prepares to audition the new recruits her posters drew in. Kat was supposed to help her, but texted at the last minute saying she had a family emergency, which Kat was very much aware Caroline knew was a lie, as Kat had no family she acknowledged the existence of. Caroline was already suspicious of that, as one of the classes she TA’d had a sophomore who looked suspiciously like Kat, from a similar part of Virginia one of Kat’s identities claimed to be from. She was already planning on befriending the girl, Elena, as well as her friend Bonnie, reasoning she wasn’t being sneaky as they seemed like fun people to hang out with and she desperately needed friends outside the club.

  
Bringing her focus back to the list in front of her, she could already tell many of the recruits would need help picking an actual stage name, should they start working for her. Most attempts were pitiful, either not classy enough for the establishment she ran, or too close to their real names, though Kat’s Katherine/Katerina didn’t exactly provide a good example. Straightening, she calls in the first candidate, ready for a long afternoon.

  
She lucked out better than she thought. There was a girl who already had aerialist training and was willing to incorporate more risqué elements into her silk suspended routine. She also hired a guy closer to her in age than most of her recruits to start as a bartender while learning the ropes from Enzo. The final hire was a kid she would have doubted was 18, he looked so young, had she not seen he was an upperclassman in the dance program during her scouting last week. The most training he’d need was makeup lessons to appear older, as her club most certainly did not cater to the high schooler fetish. All in all, a good catch. It was 5:00 by the time she had sent away hopefuls and gotten a training schedule worked out for her chosen, careful to work around their classes.

  
She spent the next two hours going over the club’s books, as bartenders trickled in and her DJ started up the music in preparation for the acts starting at 8. Sundays were usually slower, but they still had a few acts. She sent a threatening text to Kat, demanding she bring takeout to the club to make up for skipping the auditions, and was still waiting for a reply when she heard a drunken voice she recognized very well.

  
Storming out of her office, she rounded the corner to the main club space. “Dammit, who let Kol back in here!” she shouted, glaring at her employees.

  
Kol was sitting at the bar and let out a large laugh, shouting “Sweetcheeks! You know I missed you during my summer across the pond!” When she started toward him threateningly, he held his hands up, seemingly in remorse, saying “Look, I can pay this time! I’ll pay my entire debt right now if you want.”

  
“It’s not just the money, Kol!” She glared down at him. He had always paid cash for the dancers, as she didn’t allow debts in that department, but unfortunately the city required she accept cards at the bar and his was frequently declined or bounced back and he had a tendency to outdrink everyone else in the club. He was her worst barfly, despite having only arrived in town last year for college from England. She summoned her angriest voice and face for her next words. “You can’t keep putting your hands on my dancers! This isn’t a brothel, despite your repeated attempts to treat it as one.” She looked at the bartender and saw it was one of her summer hires, making a mental note to plaster a poster of Kol’s face in the break room with large letters saying DO NOT SERVE. “Now pay up and get out”

  
“Such venom, sweetcheeks, you’d think you were about to send someone after my kneecaps. Say, you’re not involved with the American mob I’ve heard so much about, are you?” He peered over his glass at her.

  
She snorted, “I’m surprised you even came back to the states, if you are that concerned about your kneecaps.”

  
“Well I can’t resist the lure of pretty American women, or the allure they find in my accent” he says while leering at the female dancer that was walking to the break room. “But fine, here is a check, made out with my full debt.”

  
She snatched the check out of his hands, examining it carefully. “Mikaelson, huh? Any relation to the history department professor?” His face immediately turns wary, and she seizes the opportunity. “I’d hate to go knocking on the esteemed professor’s door should this check bounce like the last one.”

  
“It’ll go through,” his cockiness returning. Throwing back the last of his drink, he stands up from the barstool. “I’ll be back once you’re convinced I can be a reliable customer” and with that he saunters out the door. Caroline represses a frustrated scream and returns to work.

She spends the next two weeks, in between her classes and management duties, employing her considerable social abilities on two fronts: first, to wheedle Kat into giving her the name of her beau; second, to convince her new dance major recruit to fill out the paper work to move from freelancer to employee. Kat had been hard to crack, despite all the time they spent together, teasing her with only a physical description, too full of superlatives and dick size to be much use to Caroline. The dark brown hair barely narrowed down the options, but Caroline suspected, from the way Kat waxed on about how impeccably dressed he was, that the man in question was one of the few professors who regularly wore a suit. She was confident she could figure out who it was within the week.

  
The dance major presented an entirely different type of problem, as she spent little time talking to him and lots of time attempting to pin him down. He refused to give her a full name, and she so far had avoided cornering him between his classes in an attempt to respect his privacy, as he hadn’t told her was his major was, but she was at the end of her rope. She was only allowed to pay him cash without an employee file for two weeks, which were almost up. When she spotted him near her building, sufficiently far from the dance buildings that he likely wouldn’t be spotted by classmates, she pounced. Sliding up next to him as he walked, she whispered “Hello Mike” (he had taken his oh-so-original name from the movie, of course.)

  
When his eyes went wide, she corralled him toward a bench off the path with an aggressively polite smile. “I don’t know who you’re talking about” he stammered out.

  
“I’m the Manager, ok! Name’s Caroline. Listen, I wouldn’t corner you like this if it wasn’t a big deal. I need a name. It doesn’t have to be your name, it just needs to have a basic fake identity to back it up. Talk to Katerina at the club if you need help procuring one” she said, keeping her voice low.

  
He was shaking his head the entire time she talked. “I’m not sure I want the job anymore.”

  
Caroline can’t help the shriek she releases “WHAT!?!?” She takes a deep breath in an effort to calm herself, before returning her low voice “You’re the best new dancer I’ve got! I don’t have time to train anyone else before conference season.”

  
Before she can even finish her plea, she hears a new voice behind her. “Miss Forbes, I presume?” The man’s voice has an accent suspiciously similar to Kol’s. Whirling around, the man she sees is in a perfectly tailored suit, with equally coiffed dark brown hair, and she automatically straightens her spine in response to his perfect posture. “Is that one of your students you are shaking down?” he inquires.

  
“Not exactly” she admits, too focused on how he matches the description of Kat’s mystery man. He thankfully doesn’t leave her wondering for long.

  
“ I believe you’re an acquaintance of Miss Katherine Pierce?”

  
“Yeah, we are in the same department” Caroline is unwilling to give up more information, not sure what Kat has told the man, if it is even the one she is dating. She glances back to see her quarry has run off and lets out a curse. “And who are you, exactly?”

  
“Professor Elijah Mikaelson, at your service. Department of History.” He extends out a hand for her to shake, which she reluctantly takes. “Katherine has been reluctant to introduce me to her friends, so I took the initiative to seek you out after seeing the two of you at lunch the other day.”

  
“Yeah, Katherine is very …. “ she struggles to find an accurate description that won’t scare him off, “private.” Caroline lets out a laugh, to Elijah’s bewilderment. “She hasn’t even told me your name yet, so excuse me if I treat you with a little suspicion until she confirms you’re actually the guy she’s been seeing.”

  
“Yes, well I was hoping you could convince her to attend a luncheon with me next week to meet my brothers who will be in town for the conference. I am told she lacks family of her own, so perhaps you could join us to help ease the tension” He maintains a calm demeanor, but there is a questioning note in his voice.

  
“I guess so,” Caroline says puzzled, “but why can’t you ask her yourself?”

  
Reluctance crosses his face. “She appears not to recognize me many times I see her on campus. I have often gotten disparaging looks from her and the young black woman I often see her with.”

  
Caroline immediately remembers her students Bonnie and Elena, who seemed joined at the hip. “Yeah, that’s not Katherine. One of my sophomores looks exactly like her.” Elijah clearly seems reluctant to believe her, so she continues “Look, Katherine never wears her hair straight, rarely walks anywhere on campus that’s not between the Lit building and her car, and would never be caught dead without heels. So it may be hard to believe, but if you see someone doesn’t meet that criteria, it’s not Kat.”

  
“Well, I shall endeavor to be more observant.” Elijah still seems reluctant. “And do try and convince her of the luncheon” he says before taking his leave.

It turns out that Kat is the one who ends up convincing Caroline to attend Elijah’s “luncheon” on the Friday the conference starts with the promise of cute accented guys. Caroline grumbles, as it seems likely Kol is one of those guys, given his relation to Elijah, but Kat will not be deterred, even though they both should be preparing for the packed house at the club tonight. Elijah had reserved them a table at the campus restaurant reserved for donors and professors. Kat and Caroline would have been put on a long waiting list, had they tried to get a table there, as they were only grad students. Kat, breaking her tradition of chronic tardiness, insisted they arrive at exactly 12:00 to impress Elijah with their timeliness.

  
Of course, when they arrived precisely on time, they found that Elijah and two men were already seated at a prime table by the window. As the hostess escorted the two of them to the table, Elijah stood and pulled out both their chairs. He helped Kat into the chair next to him, while Caroline sat down on Kat’s other side without assistance. She saw the man on Elijah’s other side was Kol and resisted rolling her eyes, as he had never met her outside the club. Shifting her vision to the man on her left, she was pleasantly surprised at the face that greeted her. The man, quickly introduced as Klaus, had perfectly curled hair and pleasingly plumped lips, not to mention the bright blue eyes. He was dressed down for the establishment, with no suit jacket or tie, his sleeves rolled up and collar left unbuttoned, revealing a delicious amount of chest hair.

  
“Well aren’t you two ladies lovely,” Kol drawls, and for a moment Caroline is surprised at his polite remark, before he turns to Katherine and continues “I can see why my brother has made you his bed warmer.”

  
Elijah lets out a warning “Kol, mind your manners.”

  
“It’s perfectly alright Elijah,” Katherine says with a sip of the wine already on the table, “Kol is one of my students. I’m sure he’s just put out he’s having to repeat the freshman 101 class and his grades don’t seem to have improved from last year.”

  
Kol’s eyes narrow “How would you know that; you weren’t even a TA last year.”

  
“Different TA, same supervising professor” Katherine says politely, despite the small smirk on her face.

“Well, if that’s quite over” Elijah says with a sigh, but is interrupted before he can finish.

Klaus leans forward, intently studying the two of them. “You two are remarkably well dressed. I thought grad students were supposed to be a poor lot.” He says it casually, but there is more than a hint of question in his words. Caroline fights to keep her face neutral. Katherine did, in fact, spend a large portion of her tips on her wardrobe, including the designer heels she was wearing right now. Caroline immediately regrets wearing her one true designer splurge, a perfectly fitted knee length dress that showed just the right amount of cleavage. It was classy, but Caroline hadn’t been above using the skin it barred when interviewing for her doctoral position. Klaus seemed far too aware of her discomfort for her liking, and she quickly changed the subject, inquiring as to what he did for a living, that let him dress down for the restaurant they were in.

Barking out a laugh, he explained he was studying for a doctorate in Art History, the subject of the conference. “It appears my home university has much looser dress codes for professors,” a smile still on his face. He appeared to have enjoyed her attempt to insult him, focusing intently on her face. Caroline is saved the trouble of replying by the arrival of the waiter, who quickly takes their orders.

Elijah takes up the mantle of conversation as soon as the waiter walks away. “Niklaus here is an attendee of the conference, and we were doing to show him around campus after lunch, if you ladies cared to join us.” His words are seemingly undeterred by Klaus grumbling under his breath about the use of his full name.

“Yes, we’ll have a jolly good time” Kol exclaims suddenly. “I can take you to all my favorite haunts, Nik. There’s this one club right off campus I frequent called the Mystic” and Caroline internally groans at the mention of her club.

Elijah frowns at his younger brother and admonishes him “Perhaps if you spent less time at such ‘haunts’ you would have decided on a major by now. Or at least passed English Lit 101,” he glances at Katherine before continuing, “a failure neither I nor our parents were aware of.”

“Isn’t the Mystic a strip club?” Klaus inquires of Kol. “Isn’t that a bit low brow? I hate to imagine what kind of diseases you picked up just from the chairs there.”

“The Mystic Club is a local institution!” Caroline’s voice comes out slightly too loud, with an edge of hysterics. Everyone at the table turns to look at her, with Katherine sending her a warning glare. Fighting to keep her voice even, Caroline continues “It’s almost as old as the college itself, and just an integral part of the town’s history.” Kat could ignore the insults to the Mystic if she wanted, but the club was Caroline’s pride and joy and there was no way she was letting someone related to Kol look down on it.

“So you’ve been, then?” Klaus asks with barely contained laughter in his voice.

“It caters to both men and women, you know” the venom in Caroline’s voice less disguised than the laughter in his.

“The club is actually heavily promoted by both the college and town; it’s profits help fund the city’s courting of large academic conventions such as this one.” Elijah begins an obvious attempt to smooth things over, with Katherine looking at him adoringly. “The façade is from the early 1900s and is now on the historical registrar, though the original building was far older than that. I believe the inside was renovated around 5 years ago and the interior is supposed to be of the highest class now. I’ve never been myself though, so I cannot confirm.”

Kol gasps in mock outrage. “Elijah, how can you have lived here so long without visiting the town’s most hallowed institution!” He shoots a mocking look at Caroline at his last words, who mutters that she never said it was “most hallowed.” “You simply must come out tonight with Nik and I, you should bring these lovely ladies as well, since I can confirm the veneered establishment has dancers of every gender and proclivity.”

“Oh no, we couldn’t possibly impose” Kat says with her most saccharine smile. “You boys rarely get to see each other, from what Elijah’s told me, so you should make it a regular guys’ night. After all, you sound like a regular Kol and can probably get a better table for just the three of you since you are such a connoisseur of the place.” Caroline desperately hopes she is the only one who can see the evil glint Kat’s eyes, knowing she is trying to bait Kol into admitting he’s been banned.

Once again, the waiter’s interruption is perfectly timed, bringing out their food. Silence falls over the table as they dig in, each only speaking to complement their food or ask about another’s dish. They have a companionable meal and Elijah appears much more relaxed, until their dishes are cleared away for dessert.

“The best part is all the dancers wear masks” Kol exclaims, leaning forward as if he is sharing the most insightful news. Elijah, Kat, and Caroline all groan in unison. “And they all have to be students, or at least taking a class, to work there. But they all use fake names, even the bartenders, so you never know if the person you are talking to is in one of your classes.”

“I really hope that girl in my physics class dances there,” Kol continues with fake thoughtfulness, “I would love to get a lap dance from her.”

“Kol!” Elijah’s eyes flash and he stares down his brother until Kol leans back and makes a great show of zipping his lips.

Klaus appears amused by his brothers’ antics. “Caroline, since you seem so passionate about local history, perhaps you could enlighten us about the club’s storied history, since it appears we will be attending tonight.”

“Oh, Caroline would love to” Kat says quickly, but Caroline debates internally at her words. She’s worried appearing too passionate about the club’s history might not make sense for someone who claims to have only been there a few times. She does her best to keep her voice even as she begins.

“The story goes that around the turn of the century, right after they built the building the current façade is from, the management all worked at the college in some way or other, and in order to appease the town council, put it in their charter that all employees must have a connection to the college, either through employment or classes. The town is very protective of the club’s privacy, so there’s no proof that practice is still in place today.” Privately Caroline has continued the hiring practice, even though not all managers before her had and she has a legacy or two without direct connections to the college. “You aren’t supposed to try and guess who works there, to preserve the mystery.”

Kol once again leans forward and gives up pretending to be silent. “Fascinating. I didn’t know that one of my teachers could be a stripper there,” shooting Kat a very pointed look.

Elijah doesn’t notice his brother’s antics, replying “I cannot imagine a reason a professor would seek such debasing employment”

Klaus adopts the same shit-eating grin as Kol “You’re right, of course, a professor would have no need of such work.” Caroline plasters on her best customer service smile at Klaus’s words, and Kat does the same, though Caroline can see the small signs of hurt in her eyes at Elijah’s words.

The alarm on Caroline’s phone goes off and shakes them out of their staring contest. Kat leans across her chair to plant a kiss on Elijah’s cheek, saying “Well dear, be sure to let me know if you spot anyone familiar when you have your boys night. Care and I have to get back to our classes.”

She and Caroline rise out of their chairs as pleasantries are exchanged; Klaus decides to bid farewell with “Lovely meeting you, Care” his smirk firmly in place.

Caroline calls over her shoulder “Nice to meet you too, Niklaus” as she flounces away.

“I’m telling you Nik, those girls work at the Mystic” This had been Kol’s favored topic, ever since Elijah excused himself to go oversee the set up for the conference, leaving Kol and Klaus to wander the campus and surrounding town alone.

“While I had fun riling them up, I don’t think they really work there. And why would it matter if they did?” Klaus shook his head at his brother’s apparent obsession.

“That Katherine girl, she looks just like Katarina, who’s probably the best dancer there. They have the same hair and the exact same eyes, not to mention the similarity in the names.”

“Yes, you are a true detective. Same hair and similar names. Brilliant.” Klaus pauses their stroll. “How would you even know the dancer’s eye color? In my experience such places are poorly lit.”

“I got a good view the times she gave me a lap dance” Kol’s eyes light up in a way Klaus associates with evil.

“Make sure I’m there when you tell Elijah you got a lap dance from his girlfriend. I want to see how well that goes over.”

Kol seems determined to ignore Klaus’s criticisms. “I’m not sure which dancer Caroline is though. She seems too tall for any of the blondes who work frequently.”

“Yes, because a stripper has never heard of a wig.” Klaus peers at him with suspicion. “How often are you at this club?”

Kol ignores his question. “Did you see their hair though? It would be a shame to cover such beauty with a wig. I am usually a breast man myself, but damn if those girls don’t put thoughts in my head.”

“Are you talking about the strippers or the grad students, one of which has control over your grade?”

“All of them, Nik. Don’t pretend you weren’t checking out Caroline.” Kol throws back a laugh. “You love it when women argue with you. Or are you still seething that she called you Niklaus?”

Klaus decided to follow Kol’s precedent, and ignore the question posed. It had smarted when she used his full name, as he hated the name their father gave him. He looked forward to the next opportunity to see her more than he looked forward to any club.

Kat and Caroline had arrived early at the club, preparing to deal with the mess that Kol made. “Katarina” was their headliner, her name on the posters, so there was no way she could skip. They needed their brunette star dancing that night, since Kol was likely to find a way in, as he had done many times in their attempts to ban him, and he would likely try to tell Elijah her absence was suspicious.

Caroline was even more irritated with Kol than usual for trying to out Kat. Privately, Caroline thought Kat should tell Elijah, given how far along their relationship had been progressing, Kat having confessed it began at the beginning of summer, but it was Kat’s choice to make. No one should push her on it.

They quickly decided on their mode of attack, even if it was their least favorite battle plan. Kat had refused the assistant manager position, hating the nitty gritty detail work, but tonight she would be donning a blonde wig and taking on Caroline’s “Manager” persona, along with all her duties. Caroline wouldn’t hate her role as much, having missed the dancing as she got pulled into more managerial work, but she was just lucky she had been practicing more often while training the new recruits or she would have trouble keeping up with the high standard Kat set dancing. She would don a brunette wig and multiple outfits throughout the night, though she started with the black lacy lingerie set complete with stockings and garter all the girls wore while making rounds between sets. Kat thankfully had her own version of the “Manager” uniform, black leather tights and sparkly halter crop top, since Caroline was too tall for them to share pant sizes. Kat had on a large black butterfly-shaped mask that obscured most of her face, except for of course her bright red lips. Caroline’s masks matched the other girls and was far simpler, though still black and obscuring large parts of her face. They were prepared for battle.

The night was off to a pretty good start, Caroline thought as she surveyed the room. She had put the new aerialist into the opening 8:00 slot, and her act wowed the early crowd. She’d be going back on every two hours until close. Caroline always alternated between men and women in the acts, so Enzo went second, having begged to get off work early to attend the conference in the morning. He’d be working, on and off, until midnight, instead of his usual 2:00 AM. Her second shift of dancers would start trickling in in around an hour or so, to prep for their 10:00 to 2:00 AM shifts. Finishing another circuit of the club, she grabbed another tray of drinks to deliver. She preferred taking over waitressing duties when dressed as Katarina, as it allowed her more time to observe her club, but she still flirted and racked up her tips more than was strictly necessary. She was debating going on either another waitressing circuit or lap dance circuit when Kat slide up to her.

“They’re here” she breathed in her ear, motioning toward where the three men were being seated on the other side of the club. Kol must have bribed the door guard. None of her employees minded him, as he always tipped cash. It was just the bar tab he attempted to skip out of.

“Just try and avoid them while I make my way over there. It’ll be fine” Caroline replied with forced cheerfulness.

“Too happy. Aim for unbelievably sultry.” Kat critiqued her “Katarina” voice, before pushing her away from the bar.

Caroline took her notepad and pencil with her, circling the club while creeping ever closer to where the Mikaelsons were seated. She started taking orders and letting her hands linger on people’s wrists as she got into ear shot of her targets.

“What did I tell you? This place is perfect for a boys’ night!” Kol’s voice exclaimed behind her.

“I must admit, I am impressed. I expected to find a small-town barn.” Ugh. Would it kill Klaus to give an actual compliment? They were the premier destination in the region!

“The accommodations are very nice.” Elijah. “But must I remind you that under no circumstances will I be receiving a lap dance. I am happily committed.”

“Yes, but is she happily committed to you?” Kol begins to tease him and Caroline begins wandering with more urgency. “I mean, what if you dearly beloved were, for instance, a dancer at this club?”

“You’re not on this again” Klaus groaned. She wished she could see Elijah’s face to see if he believed Kol, but the angle wasn’t right.

“Whether you believe me or not, there’s a dancer named Katarina who looks exactly like your lady love. I’ve even heard the Manager call her Kat!” It was at this moment that Caroline plopped down in Kol’s lap, carefully balancing so she sat on his knees, needing the extra room it provided for what she would do next. He put his hands on her thighs and attempted to pull her forward. She stayed still and smiled.

“Kol, how wonderful to see you again.” Caroline said in her best impression of Kat’s seductress voice. She reared back her hand and in a flash, had slapped him across the face. The smack could be heard several tables over, judging by the turned heads. “That’ll be another $50 added to your tab. The Manager says you need to pay the $5,000 before you leave.” As she got up, her smile was genuine at the red nail marks across Kol’s face.

Elijah started to hiss “You’ve spent how much at this place?” while Klaus began to laugh.

Klaus grabbed her wrist as she turned to go. “The no touching rules are clearly posted.” He held his hands up in apology.

“Just tell me your name, love.”

“Katarina” She put as much seduction she could into the words, and it was clearly loud enough to be heard by Elijah, who looked up to take the measure of her in the middle of berating Kol.

Klaus started to laugh again, before turning suddenly on his younger brother with a frown. “Is this why you borrowed a thousand dollars from both Rebekah and I at the beginning of the semester?”

“I’m telling you both, I paid this place back! Hand delivered a check and everything!” Kol shouted at his brothers as she walked out of earshot. His check had actually cleared, and his debt was paid, but there was no reason for his brothers to know that. And he seemed careless enough with money to not have checked if the balance was withdrawn. She smirked as she went back to touch base with Kat and prep for her set.


	2. Kat handles emotions like a champ

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HAHA I FINALLY UPDATED! This chapter has my favorite scene besides the one in the title.

The rest of the night and the next day at the conference pass normally enough, though normal for a conference weekend means Caroline is exhausted when it comes time to open The Mystic for the Saturday night crowd. Katharine had begged off for a date with Elijah, so Caroline was going to be pulling double duty tonight, dancing as Katarina while managing from behind the scenes as Gia wore the manager attire that night. She was planning on promoting Gia to assistant manager since Kat refuses the job, and the girl was more than capable of handling one night, but Caroline had a tendency to micromanage she had yet to curb. She was hoping to avoid any Mikaelson brothers that night, but was beginning to suspect Kat’s bad luck was rubbing off on her. Klaus walked in the door halfway through the night, though thankfully sans Kol. Curiously, he seemed only interested in the bar, though they did have an impressive scotch collection that Kol liked to avail himself of. Perhaps the brothers had similar tastes in drinks. When she passes by on her way to check in with Gia, he turns toward her in interest.

“It’s Katarina, isn’t it love?”

She turns a frosty eye toward him. “That’s what is says on the posters.”

“I didn’t mean to offend sweetheart.” When she just cocks a brow at the pet name, he hurries on. “I just wished to compliment you on your set last night. I’ve yet to catch one tonight but was amazed despite myself at your performance yesterday.”

“Wow, that was indeed _almost_ a compliment.” The frostiness in her voice catches up to the look in her eye. “You mean despite this place being low-brow as a sex work establishment.”

“I wouldn’t call what you do sex work. Risqué dancing seems more apt.” He adds with a frown.

Caroline puts on her best impression of Katharine’s sultry voice. “That’s because you haven’t been to the private rooms. Nothing sexier than what goes on in there.”

Klaus merely chuckles at her attempt to scare him off with flirting. “Are you offering a lap dance love?”

“Depends, _love,_ are you paying?” When he merely looks thoughtful, she decides to push, trailing her fingers along his stubble, initiating physical contact despite her own rules. “I’m off floor duty in 10 minutes, head to the back then. Bring cash.”

After finishing her drink orders and checking in with Gia, she heads to meet Klaus at the appointed time. He doesn’t head to the side door where the rooms are until he sees her start that way. She keeps up her frosty persona as she leads him through the curtains to a booth, as he seems to delight in every insult she tosses his way. leaving her stomach tied in strange knots. She pushes him onto the chair and immediately straddles him with no teasing, hands clasped behind his neck. She studies him curiously as she begins to rotate her hips in time with the club’s music, head tilted slightly to the side. He seems hesitant to do anything more with his hands than fidget, so she in an irritated huff places his hands on her thighs, which he immediately begins to massage, rubbing circles with his thumbs. It feels better than her batteries have in a long time, and she leans into the feeling, resting her head against his as they breath heavily together. That is, until he has to ruin it by opening his stupidly perfect mouth.

“I’m impressed by how well you run the place. I feel truly special to have been given time out of your busy schedule berating bartenders.” Caroline immediately rears back in surprise. Did that mean he had figured out her actual name? Or just that she had switched places with Kat and was regularly The Manager? It turned out to be neither. “I don’t know why you bother with a fake manager, but you are truly impressive in both your multitasking and micromanaging abilities.”

She grabs his face, her fury evident as her blood red nails dig into the sides of it. “Careful love,” he cautions as he moves a hand up to guide hers away. “I might be into that.”

At his words, her silent anger is broken and she groans. “God you’re annoying.” She stands up and leans against the wall, determined to look down on him. “We were having a perfectly lovely time and now you’ve gone and ruined it by being nosey. I’m still going to charge you full price, you know.”

“Are you this rude to all your customers?” Klaus doesn’t seem put out at all by his own disruption, seeming to thrive on their banter instead. “Or perhaps is this your manager persona leaking through? I don’t recall agreeing to be one of your employees.”

“I’m only this rude to _Mikaelson_ men” she says the name with derision. “And you clearly think yourself above working here, based on the hundred-dollar glass of scotch you ordered.”

He stretches to seemingly get comfortable again on the stool. “Well, there are perks to growing up with the Mikaelson name after all. Of course, the downside is being related to Kol of all people.”

Caroline does her best to suppress an unattractive snort, but it quickly turns into full blown laughter. Clutching her sides, she retorts “Yeah, I almost feel sorry enough for you to finish your dance. Almost.”

“Well, if the booth is booked for more time and you refuse to touch me again, perhaps we can just chat?”

“No” she quickly replies, though her eyes twinkle with laughter.

“Very well, shall I wax on about my own accomplishments then,” He gestures broadly, a shit eating grin on his face. “I have a most illustrious career the recounting of which puts people to sleep.”

Caroline wrinkles her nose. “Fine. I’ll play ball. I started working here six years ago as a bartender, moved up to dancer within four months, and became manager a few years ago when the previous one moved to Miami.” When he seems genuinely interested in her accomplishments, she cautiously continues “I had only been assistant manager for a month before that. The club had been on a decline before that, still prestigious, but it could have been better. And I made it better.” The pride in her voice is unmistakable. The Mystic was her baby, dammit, and it felt good to brag about how she had turned the place again.

“So you admit you are the one running this place then?” He merely chuckles at her glare. “I’m teasing love. You’ve done a wonderful job from what I can tell. Did you get promoted based on seniority? I imagine there is a lot of turnover in a college town.”

“No there were several dancers that had been there longer than me, they just lacked my superior organizational skills.” She lets satisfaction drip from her voice before frowning. Technically ‘Katarina,’ who she was pretending to be, had been working here seven years, not six. Surely there was no way Klaus would know that though.

The man in question leans forward with his elbows resting on his knees. “And are the rumors true that all employees must be involved in the university ?” Caroline immediately tensed, sensing his true purpose was to investigate Kol’s claims about Kat. She would have to tread very carefully.

“We have a few people unconnected with the school, though the town prefers we employ mostly students as they believe it adds to the mystique.” Privately she agreed, though there was no need to tell Klaus that. “If you are looking for someone in particular, you’ll be disappointed. I don’t even know most of their real names.”

Klaus drops his casual demeanor. “Who says I’m looking for a particular person?”

“Well, you aren’t getting my number.” She quips at him, then glances at the hidden clock. “Alright, your time is up. Now get out of my club, you Mikaelsons are too annoying to let hang around.”

“As the lady commands.” He stands up with a flourish then pauses at the curtain door. “If it’s not too much trouble, could I take a bottle of that scotch off your hands? I’ll pay whatever markup, I just find my hotel’s selection lacking.”

She considers him a moment. “Tell the bartender The Manager said to sell you the bottle at 49% above market price. The number will let her know it’s really me.” He takes his leave and she stands there a moment wondering what just happened, before shaking herself and going to check on Gia’s progress.

The rest of the weekend goes smoothly, and Caroline slides easily back into school mode on Monday. Until, that is, Kat barges into her shared office right at the end of her 9:00 block office hours. “I hope you have a cuter outfit than that in your bag, I’m going to need you as buffer again at lunch.” While it was true Caroline was dressed rather plainly today with her hair in need of a wash, she rarely bothered beyond basic appearances while not at the club. The only makeup she had on right then was mascara.

“Kat, I love you, but I’ll need a serious bribe to willingly spend any time with Kol again.”

“No bribe necessary, dear lover” Kat’s smile is malicious. “No Kol today, just want a buffer for the hotter brother Klaus. I saw you two eyeing each other at lunch on Friday. And a little birdy told me the two of you spent quite a while in the backrooms a few nights ago.”

“If by a little birdie you mean Enzo, and you realize that I was just doing my job that he doesn’t even know I have, then maybe I’ll help you out.” Caroline realized a second too late she had been suckered in too easily, distracted as she was by the mention of Klaus. “And it better not be fancy dress again, I don’t have time to return to my apartment.”

“I think you mean _our_ apartment Care.” Kat had all her mail delivered to Caroline’s place and kept a few things in the spare bedroom to convince the school and friends that they lived together. Caroline had no idea where Kat actually lived, and it appeared they would be fooling Elijah with the scheme as well. It didn’t sit well with Caroline, as Elijah was a much better guy than the people Kat usually dated, but Kat didn’t do trust and she got that. She really did. It’s why she keeps letting herself get suckered into Kat’s schemes. “I’ll pick you up in an hour, we are meeting them for Thai. Fix your hair up if you want to get laid.” Kat calls as she saunters away.

Caroline wasn’t interested in Klaus. She really wasn’t. It didn’t matter that she knew she liked the feeling of his hands on her bare skin, had enjoyed their banter in both facets of her life. She had sworn off dating since Tyler. The club was her entire focus now. What were the chances she’d find a guy who could take third place behind her business and her PhD, let alone handle what her business was. Tyler had seemed interested when she first told him, about 3 months into their relationship, but it quickly spiraled downward. He kept showing up at her work and glowering at anyone who showed interest in her while slamming down drinks. She implemented a ‘no significant others at the club’ rule as soon as she took over as manager because of him and was stringent about enforcing it. Enzo had an easier time in the dating pool, likely because he was so open about everything and so people knew when they met him what he did for a living. And Kat tended to lie to significant others about everything in her life, so lying about her job didn’t bother her. Caroline was an awful liar however, for how much secrecy was involved in her job, and kept wanting to be honest in her relationships. Which was why she was now steadfastly ignoring Klaus’s genuine interest in her studies, her background, her life.

Kat of course, was no help, completely smitten by her Mikaelson brother. Caroline had never seen the woman so interested in a partner before, certainly hadn’t been when she dated Damon Salvatore in undergrad, and that had blown up in a spectacular fashion. All she could do was hope Kat’s interest meant it would work out and not result in something worse than what she pulled on Damon. She was distracted from her thoughts when Klaus leaned over to mummer in her ear. “They are sickening, aren’t they?”

She leans toward him comfortably to whisper back. “I’ve honestly never seen her like this, it scares me a little.”

“Not usually this emotional is your friend?”

“Not just friend. Roommate. And ex.” She turns to gage his reaction to that tidbit. He seems surprised, but to her confusion not about the part she expected him to be.

“You live with someone you used to date?”

“When you date both genders, you tend to run out of people you like to live with that you haven’t fucked. There’s a reason we are friends, and the reason we didn’t work out is that she didn’t act like that around me.”

“Jealous, love?”

She seriously considers this for a moment. “No. We were never serious, and it was over four years ago. I’m just happy for my friend.” She pauses and checks that Katharine and Elijah are still in their own little world on the other side of the table. “And I’m not actually sure they’ve had the exes talk yet.”

“No need to worry, Elijah is notoriously private, won’t appreciate me butting into his personal life, so your secret is safe with me.” She wrinkles her nose at the word ‘secret’. Just because she didn’t flaunt it like Enzo and Katarina didn’t mean she wanted to go back to the closet of her youth. Sensing her distaste, he changes the subject. “May I take you out for dinner the next time I’m in town?” Caroline jolts so suddenly at his words their heads nearly collide. “It can be as colleagues or a date, whichever you prefer. I’d love a chance to pick your brain on personal or professional matters.”

“Why?” she wonders. “I’ve been purposefully rude to you this whole time.”

“Perhaps I like a challenge. And like I said, the date portion is not required. Your wit on academic matters is incentive enough.”

She studies him up and down for a moment before giving her his number with instructions to text solely about their meet up.

Of course, over the next few weeks he doesn’t stick with that, but Caroline finds herself hard pressed to mind. He never pushes but seems to always know just what to say in order to hook her in conversation or, more likely, an argument. They text frequently, escalating to nearly every day by the time he announces that he’ll be in town the following weekend. Apparently, even more of the Mikaelson clan will be in town and wouldn’t she rescue a poor soul from spending time with his family, if only for a couple hours? She laughs at that text, received while in the break room at the club on Saturday. They agree to meet for brunch the next Saturday, as she claimed to work evenings bartending. It wasn’t much of a lie, really. She simply managed the bar instead.

They have their date, then walk over to join Rebekah and co for lunch, slightly tipsy.

“Ah, I expected the great Katharine Peirce to be shorter. Good to know I was mistaken.” An icy voice greets Caroline when they arrive at the restaurant. “Though I should be disappointed my brothers are pursuing the same woman again.”

“Excuse me?!?!” Caroline lets out a strangled reply.

Klaus quickly attempts damage control. “This is Caroline, Rebekah. One of Miss Pierce’s friends and comrades in the English department.”

“And the reason you two are lushes this early in the morning? I half expected that from Elijah after his big date last night, but you Nik?” Rebekah eyes Caroline up and down. “You could do better.”

“Excuse me!??!?!” Caroline repeats at a higher tone. “For your information, we just came from a date. A perfectly lovely date that has now been ruined by meeting even more awful members of his family.”

“Ah, so you’ve met Kol then.” Rebekah turns to Klaus, seemingly ignoring Caroline’s continuing protestations. “And I checked out that nonsense you and Kol were spewing. There’s no way the Katarina character and the Manager are the same person. I scoped the place out on Thursday, they are completely different heights. Really, you two are idiots when it comes to a pair of boobs.”

They both seem to notice Caroline has gone eirily silent and still at that moment, and she desperately grasps for something to say. “Wait, did you say Elijah had a big date last night?”

Rebekah narrows her eyes. “Surely you know about it, as the chit’s apparent best friend.”

“No, I knew they had a date, but I didn’t realize it was a _big_ one.” Neither Mikaelson seem to know what she was referring to, but horror was slowly growing in the pit of her stomach. “How big a date was it?”

“I fail to see how that’s any of your business, if your friend won’t share it with you.”

“What’s wrong love, you’re growing pale.” Klaus’ concern would be sweet, if Caroline wasn’t a moment away from hyperventilating.

“Please, please tell me” Caroline begged, “that Elijah wasn’t stupid enough to declare his love for her last night.”

“I believe that was the general idea, yes. Why are you so concerned?” Rebekah sniffed.

“Oh my god, I haven’t heard from her all day.” Caroline starts away from the restaurant. “I need to call her. Hopefully she hasn’t left city limits by now.”

“Caroline what is going on?” Klaus calls out, doing his best to keep up with her frantic weaving through crowds as she pulls out her phone.

“If you care for your brother at all, you’ll call him right now. And,” she hesitates. “If you care for me at all, you’ll tell him not to call the police.”

Klaus is able to get a hold of Elijah first. The color slowly drains from his face at Elijah’s words. “What do you mean your apartment is empty? How can it not have anything left, not even furniture?” He pauses for a moment to listen. “No, no, Katharine’s friend Caroline is here, she said not to call the police. I’m sure Katharine will pick up her friend’s call any moment now. I’ll let you know the moment it happens.” Klaus eyes Caroline curiously as he hangs up. “And why, pray tell, did you not want Elijah to tell the police that his belongings and ladylove are missing?”

“Because Kat took his stuff.” She admits in a small voice. “And if there’s an arrest warrant out for her, the chances of either Elijah or I seeing her again are slim to none.” She curses suddenly. “Idiot. how can you date that woman for 6 months and not realize what a bad idea declarations of love are?”

“What does your friend have against love? She seemed perfectly besotted with my brother last I saw her.”

Caroline chews on her lip in worry, phone still uselessly ringing. “When her undergrad boyfriend Damon told her he loved her, she acted perfectly normal before stealing his car, driving it a thousand miles to Florida, parking it directly on the beach, and sipping margaritas from a nearby bar while watching the tickets pile up on the windshield. She was back in town before anyone noticed and Damon didn’t even know what had happened to his car until he got a call from an impound down there. He still doesn’t know how it got there, just that Kat hasn’t acknowledged his existence since.”

Before Klaus can do more than look shocked, Kat finally answers her phone. “I take it from the 10 missed calls you’ve talked with Elijah, then?” she begins dryly.

“Not directly, no.”

“Ah, so your date with the brother went well? I’m happy for you, though you seem to be lacking a distinct glow to your voice.”

“Kat! There will be no glow, thanks to you!” Klaus looks at her curiously, but she ignores him. “Just tell me where you are. Or turn the car around and meet me somewhere.”

“I wouldn’t call it a car exactly.”

“ _I know you have a mover’s truck full of Elijah’s belongings right now, cut the bullshit_ ” she fervently whispers. “Now get your butt back in town while I can still smooth things over.”

“No can do cupcake, already passed the state lines. And don’t bother asking which state” she sing-songs.

Caroline is fighting off tears when Klaus places a steading hand on her arms. She shoots him a grateful look before continuing in a small voice. “You can’t do this to me Kat. You’re my best friend. And I know it’s selfish, but I was so close Kat. I could have owned the whole place with your help.”

“That’s why I left you a gift Care. It’s in the spare bedroom in your place” Kat’s fake bedroom, she means. “Should be enough for you to buy the place outright. You’re the whole reason I bothered getting a degree in the first place, you deserve it.” Caroline breaks into full on tears at that, Klaus’s hand rubbing soothing circles on her shoulder as happiness mixes with her despair. “I couldn’t stay in town anyway. Not since Elena showed up.”

Caroline hiccups. “How do you know her anyway?”

“She’s my sister. Same birth parents, but I got the short end of the stick. Perfect _Elena_ grew up in a loving home, while I bounced around group homes and the foster system. And don’t try using this information to look up my legal name, it was a closed adoption, and you don’t have the skill in that area that I do.”

She sinks onto a nearby bench before answering, Klaus still a soothing presence at her side. “You don’t have to go. I’ll keep Elijah from pressing charges, you can at least visit me” she pleads.

“I love you too Care.” Kat’s voice comes out soft, before the line cuts out. _This number is no longer in service_ the phone screen reads. Caroline wraps herself up in Klaus’s confused embraced, knowing she’ll owe him an explanation soon enough. But for now, she just cries.

Caroline has no idea how long it is before she stops sobbing, Klaus’s arms around her. She looks up bleary-eyed, at his concerned face. “I suppose I owe you an explanation.” She hiccups

“That would be nice sweetheart.”

“It’d be easiest to explain with Elijah here as well.”

“I texted him that Katharine was safe and that you could explain more. He’s on his way.” His voice is gentle, attempting to soothe her, but it just increases her bewilderment.

“Why aren’t you mad at me?”

“From what I heard, you aren’t the one who just broke my brother’s heart.” He pauses, searching for a safer topic. “Was there a condo the two of you had you eye on?” She blinks up at him in confusion. “You mentioned being able to buy some place before you started crying.”

“Oh, that.” What was the harm in sharing at this point? She’d have to put her real name on the paperwork to buy the place anyway, and she knew Kat wasn’t lying about the money she’d find at home, despite lying about her name and age to everyone she’d ever met. “I’m The Manager at The Mystic. I’ve been hounding her for years to invest with me, so we could buy the place outright. The current owners give me a lot of leeway, but I want the place to myself. Well, I wanted it for me and Kat.”

Elijah arrived at that moment and Caroline miserably explained everything. Kat’s multiple identities, theft of Damon’s car, secret identical sister, their jobs at the Mystic and how she didn’t even know Kat’s real address in town. To her surprise, she didn’t have to beg Elijah not to press charges. He kept most personal items in his office and the few things he couldn’t live without from his apartment were still there, sans a few items they agreed Kat had taken as mementos. He would keep quiet about their jobs and Kat’s theft so long as she agreed to help him get in contact with Katharine should she ever turn up again.

Elijah takes his leave, looking quite forlorn. “Aren’t you going to go comfort him?” Caroline asks Klaus.

“Our family isn’t very good at comfort, truth be told.” He looks at her oddly. “Worth a shot, I suppose.” There is a brief pause. “May I ask you out again?”

“You just spent an hour comforting me while I cried because my best friend robbed your brother’s apartment, and you want another date?” Caroline is incredulous.

“Well, I was hoping our next time out would be less eventful, but truth be told I wouldn’t mind if it meant spending time with you.” He leans to kiss her hand, and saunters off to catch up to Elijah.

Caroline was having a wonderful Christmas break, despite the drama of the previous semester. Her check had cleared on the club, making her full owner, and now her new boyfriend was living out of her apartment while school wasn’t in session, turning her spare bedroom into a makeshift office so he wouldn’t get behind on work. He had assured her that it was no problem for him to be in town that long, as she needed to be taking care of her business. All his siblings knew by now, of course, as Kol was a barfly who heard the news the second it became public. Her supervising professor was surprisingly understanding, merely worried about her workload, and the new negotiations with the town over the charter had gone swimmingly.

She and Klaus were cuddled up, watching a movie on her couch the day after Christmas when the door flew open and a voice she hadn’t heard in months sang out “Cupcake, I’m home!”


	3. Elijah's Ties

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> SMUT ALERT!

She and Klaus were cuddled up, watching a movie on her couch the day after Christmas when the door flew open and a voice she hadn’t heard in months sang out “Cupcake, I’m home!”

But to say they were cuddling was an understatement. It would be more accurate to say they were horizontal on the couch, clothing strewn about. Neither of them could tell you what movie was on when Katharine barged into the home they were sharing.

“Cupcake, I’m home!”

Caroline shrieks, falling off the couch, shoving Klaus further into the cushions where he had previously been atop her. She gropes around blindly until she finds a blanket to wrap around herself, throwing another atop Klaus’s nude form.

Klaus’s voice is dry, despite the lingering hint of gravel, as he speaks into the couch arm. “Katarina, to what do we owe the pleasure?”

“Aw you told him Care-bear?” Kat is unbothered by their nudity; in fact, her eyes seem to catch on any skin their blankets aren’t covering.

“I told him and Elijah everything, it was the only way I could think of to keep him from pressing charges.”

Kat seems to flinch for a moment at Elijah’s name, but resumes her lighthearted air immediately. “Get dressed cupcake, we are going out for a bit.”

“We were in the middle of something Katarina, so if you’ll kindly leave…” Klaus sits up on the couch, uncaring that the blanket Caroline had hastily thrown was barely covering him. Caroline’s momentarily distracted by the expanse of thigh and hip Klaus was showing.

“Care, I will drag you out of here wrapped in nothing but your blanket if you don’t get dressed in the next minute.” Slowly, Caroline hauls herself up, mouthing “I’m sorry” at Klaus, who looks positively enraged.

Hurrying into her bedroom, she debates just pulling on yoga pants before realizing that Katherine Pierce would demand a Katherine Pierce-level outfit. “Don’t kill each other, I’ll be out in a minute!” She calls out, hurriedly selecting clean panties and a simple sundress. Slipping on a pair of sandals and a jean jacket, she brushes her hair out as she reenters the main room of her apartment. The apartment she once pretended to share with Kat. Her current roommate and her former pretend roommate were glaring at each other, but Klaus still took a moment to take in her appearance, drinking in the look of her. A blush starts to take over her face when Kat determinedly grabs her arm to drag her out the door.

“Wait, I don’t have my purse!”

“Don’t need it, I’ll pay for everything.”

Caroline still struggles against her grip, shooting Klaus a look that brokers no interference “I don’t have my phone.”

“You can borrow my new one. C’mon Care-bear!” Kat succeeds in dragging her over the threshold and soon pushes her into a nondescript car, making Caroline wish she had let Klaus interfere. Kat was in a mood, and not one Caroline could say she enjoyed, even if she hadn’t been interrupted from more pleasurable activities. She sat in determined silence as Katherine drove them to the next town over.

“The silent treatment, seriously?”

“That was so uncool Petrova!”

“You know that’s not my last name.” Caroline merely glares at her. “What are you mad about, interrupting your time with your lover or skipping town months ago?”

“Both! God you’re so infuriating Pierce!”

“Still not my name.” Kat’s tone is teasing. “You’ll have plenty of time with lover boy once I get my fill of you, and I skipped town ages ago, you should be over it by now.”

“Except Klaus is only in town during the winter holidays, and I had to cover your work for _both_ your jobs.”

“Damn. They made you TA the freshman? That’s cold.” She pulls into the parking lot of an unfamiliar diner. “Well, we’re here. So why don’t you yell at me over breakfast. My treat.”

“It had better be your treat.” Caroline mumbles, but dutifully gets out of the car. They settle in for pancakes, and Kat uses her signature Petrova charm to get them free coffee as well.

“You gonna tell me what this is about Kat?”

Katherine regards her with cool eyes, full teacher persona on display. “I heard you’ve been hanging out with my doppelganger.”

“You mean your sister?” Caroline is flabbergasted. How did Katherine even hear about that? “She and her friend Bonnie come into my lunch office hours all the time; I haven’t seen them outside that.” Peering curiously at the expression on Kat’s face, realization dawns on her. “You’re not jealous, are you?”

“Please, I’m much prettier” Kat scoffs. “Though it did sting a little to think you had replaced me with my lesser double, I have to admit.”

“You know it’s not like that.”

“I know it’s not like that _now_.” Kat corrected her. “So, spill the deets. Tell me everything you’ve gathered about my less pretty double.” She seemed to be deliberately avoiding the word sister.

Caroline begrudgingly obliged. “Well, you aren’t twins, despite the resemblance.”

“Good thing too. The girl’s eighteen. You would have been dating a teenager if I were as young as her.”

“Gross, don’t say things like that. You’ll make the waitress think I’m a creepy predator. And you’ve still never told me your real age.”

“Let’s just say that while you might not belong in jail, the previous manager of the Mystic might for hiring an underage girl to strip.” When Caroline opens her mouth in shock, Kat waves her off. “It was hardly my first fake ID, don’t blame the poor guy.”

“How magnanimous of you” Caroline grumbles into her coffee. “And I can’t even tell if Elena knows she’s adopted. She talks about her younger brother a lot, apparently he and her friend Bonnie dated in high school and she’s trying to get them back together.”

“Gross.” Katherine sniffs. “Leave exes in the past.”

Caroline suddenly leans forward. “Does that apply to Elijah, too?”

Kat sighs. “Why do you even care?”

“Um, because I’m dating his brother? And because every couple weeks he stops by my office looking lost to not find you there?”

“Really?” It’s Katherine’s turn to lean forward, suddenly excited. “Does he talk about me a lot?”

“Nope, no way. I am not getting in the middle of this. You’ll have to talk to him yourself. Like a mature adult and everything.” They sit in silence, munching on their pancakes for a while. “When are you going to take me back?”

“Well, I can’t drop you off back at your apartment.” She cuts off Caroline’s startled cry. “I’ll leave you somewhere in walking distance, your boy-toy has probably called Elijah by now and I can’t walk right into that.”

“Fine.” More silence. “He’s probably freaking out by now, you know. It was kind of a long drive here.”

“Alright, alright, I get it. We’re going.” Kat stands up and throws a hundred-dollar bill down on the table to cover their bill. Once in the car, Kat hands her a pink phone. “Just call him, I know your lover boy must be getting antsy.”

Caroline snatches up the phone, glad she actually memorized Klaus’s number for emergencies. It only rings once before he picks up. “Caroline?”

“Yeah, it’s me.” She sounds defeated, even to herself.

“What did she do to you?” Klaus moves quickly from relieved to angry.

“Nothing, just took to some diner I’ve never been to. We are about 20 minutes out from my apartment, should be home soon.” Kat coughs, reminding Caroline of her directions. “But my best friend is too much of a paranoid bastard to drop me off anywhere near the apartment, so give me an extra 10 minutes to walk home after that.” Klaus lets out an impressive string of curses and Caroline can hear another voice admonish him in the background. “Is Elijah there with you?” Taking his silence as an answer, she sighs “Kat definitely won’t drop me off close to home if he’s there.”

“Elijah and I could… leave” he hesitates, and Caroline glances at the driver’s seat.

Kat hold out her hand. “Give me the phone Care.”

Reluctantly handing it over, Kat is all business when she brings the phone to her ear, eyes still on the road. “Does Elijah still have the same address?” Klaus attempts to answer with a question of his own, but Kat cuts him off. “Does. He. Still. Live. There.” When Klaus reluctantly agrees, she says “Good. Tell him to meet me there. I’ll be there in 30 minutes.” She hangs up the phone and tucks it safely in her purse.

“What are you doing, Kat?”

Her smile is wicked sharp. “Talking to him like a mature adult, Care-bear.”

Katherine circled the block of Caroline’s apartment a few times before she was satisfied that Elijah’s car was nowhere in sight. She felt a little bad about kicking her best friend out back into the cold without her keys, but Caroline’s man was waiting for her. And so was Katherine’s. She drives much slower toward Elijah’s condo, heart thumping in her chest. Katherine Pierce didn’t show her nerves, dammit! But there she was hesitating, hand a few inches from knocking on Elijah’s door. Suddenly there is a chime from her phone and while she’s momentarily distracted, Elijah opens the door, eyes blown wide.

“Are you staying?” He asks, off kilter in a way she’s never seen before.

She hesitates, then squares her shoulders “No.”

“I’ll take whatever time I can get.” He admits and pulls her in for a bruising kiss. She walks him backward, shutting the door behind them. This. This is what always felt right about them. This is what she missed, she thinks, as he hurriedly removes her coat. This is what she came back for. She shoves his suit jacket off his shoulders, amazed as always that he constantly dressed up, even on his days off. She played with his tie, eyes warming each other up as they remember the uses she had found for his ties.

“Katherine” he groans.

“Take off your shirt.” She orders. “Leave the tie, we’ll need that later.” He rushes to obey her orders, loosening the tie enough to remove the shirt from underneath it. His eyes catch on the hem of her dress as she stoops to remove her stilettos.

“I like your new furniture” she calls as she heads toward where his bedroom had been located, before she robbed the place.

“Is that what all this was about?” He catches her in the threshold, nuzzling his face against her neck. “You could have just asked me to redecorate.”

She stands on her toes and takes his face in her hands. Gives him a long, slow kiss. “That’s never what this was about.” She can see the need in his eyes and they silently agree not to talk for a good, long, while. She shoves him down on the bed. (He replaced his bedframe with something more to her tastes, she notices.) Straddling him, she undoes his tie, only to tie it back around his wrist, chaining him to the headpost.

He throws his head back into the pillows with a groan. “Should I have grabbed another tie?”

“No, one should suffice” she replies, and his eyes grow heated at the primness in her voice. She bends down over him, kissing him languidly as she undoes his belt, removing it from his pants. His free hand moves up under her skirt to palm her ass, before venturing under her panties. She gasps, riding his hand for few moments, before shoving him off so she can remove his pants. When he lays there in just his briefs, one hand clutching the headboard where it’s tied, she takes a moment to savor it. Just a moment however, before she shucks off his underwear as well as her dress and begins kissing her way up his legs. When she kisses his inner thigh, brushing against his cock with her cheek, his free hand begins playing with her bra strap.

“Please, Katherine.” he gasps.

“Please, what professor?” She smirks at him, licking her way up his cock.

“Let me touch you.”

She pulls her way up his body to take his mouth in hers once again. He positions his cock at her entrance and slides in slowly, hand coming back up to fondle her breasts. “Faster” she moans, and he is happy to oblige. They ride each other, kisses getting sloppier with each thrust, his arm straining against his bonds, until he places his free hand on her clit and she comes undone. He follows her release with a groan, both of them panting in unison following their release. She undoes the tie around his wrist and they simply hold each other for a while, refusing to let the outside world in.

Klaus wakes up before Caroline the morning following Kat’s arrival, and simply gazes at her sleeping form. He finally gets up, thinking he should surprise her with breakfast, only to notice several missed calls on his cellphone, all from Elijah. He hurries into the next room, hoping Caroline can’t hear him, before he calls his brother back.

“Niklaus, finally.” Elijah sounds irritated and strained.

“Can I help you with something brother” Klaus knows the smirk is evident in his voice, but can’t bring himself to care. There were too few occasions where Elijah got himself in a bad predicament, and lately they all seemed to involve Katherine.

“I need you to come over to my apartment.” Elijah begins cautiously. “I’ll explain when you get here. Come alone.” he orders, and Klaus doesn’t really do well with orders, so he immediately goes to wake Caroline up.

Caroline falls asleep on the drive over to Elijah’s condo, he had forgotten his mission to woo her with breakfast and coffee when he heard his brother’s pleas. They knock on the door, when no one answers, Klaus digs out his spare key. “This place is nice” Caroline says as they enter his apartment, but she wrinkles her nose at the multiple champagne glasses and chocolate boxes strewn about the living room.

“Niklaus, I told you to come alone.” Elijah’s voice huffs from the bedroom and they automatically gravitate toward it. “This is really more of a family matter….”

Caroline screeches when they open the bedroom door, as Elijah is buck naked and fully on display, with one hand cuffed to the headboard and the other clutching his phone.

Klaus immediately starts laughing. “At least she didn’t steal anything this time, brother” he chortles, as Caroline covers her eyes with one hand, clutching him with her other.

“That remains to be seen.” Elijah replies dryly. “Now if you would be so kind…” he gestures to where a key is visible. Klaus hopes he can memorize the look on Elijah’s face, he wants to capture the expression, and only the expression, with paint later. He positions Caroline so she’s facing the wall, scoops up the key, and undoes Elijah’s restraints, all while laughing. Elijah ducks into the closet to get dressed and Klaus leads Caroline back into the kitchen, helping themselves to the man’s coffee.

Elijah joins them, and silently prepares omelets for all three of them. They all sit quietly, eating the eggs and drinking coffee, though Klaus is smirking the whole time.

“She’s never done that before, you know.” Caroline interrupts the silence.

“I can assure you Katherine has used bonds before.” Elijah refuses to look at Caroline, and she him.

“No, the bondage stuff is totally in character for her. Even leaving you tied up while she escapes is normal for her too.” Klaus gives her a look he hopes conveys how much he’s questioning her taste in friends, but Caroline keeps staring at her coffee. “She’s just never come back like this before.”

Elijah is clearly absorbing her words, entranced by his coffee cup. “Well, it’s likely too much to hope she’ll come back a second time.”

Caroline shoots him a sad look. “Probably.”

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first posted fic. I did my best to beta read by myself. Part two will include lap dances, Klaroline banter, how Katherine and Elena are related in this AU, and Rebekah. Also, Kat may or may not skip town with the contents of Elijah's apartment to avoid dealing with feelings.


End file.
